The tension between these two versions of the prime minister run through the heart of the battle to conquer the virus itself.

Mr Johnson wants the public to be buoyed by how far the country has come and by the considerable success of an NHS coping, with spare capacity should it be required. The prime minister falls back on positivity, it is his default position.

But even the most optimistic among us can't deny the power and unpredictability of COVID-19.

Without proper testing, tracking and tracing a second peak could creep up on the country and overwhelm the health service before anything could be done to stop it.

He won't do this alone, promising more transparency and closer working with opposition leaders and business - a nod perhaps to the scale of the task ahead and the power that will be needed to persuade the public to support whatever comes next.

His speech was the result of a need, clearly understood by those in Downing Street, for the public to see the prime minister is, if not recovered, at least on the way there.

But his blonde hair, grown longer after weeks without a trim, couldn't hide the pallid complexion left behind after battling a virus which is still killing hundreds every day.

Mr Johnson, like the country, is keen to put the worst behind him; but this will a long, hard recovery and we're not there yet.